The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has slated 16 November 2019 for off-cycle gubernatorial elections in Bayelsa and Kogi States. These will be the first major elections to be conducted by INEC since the 2019 general elections. The Bayelsa election is an off-cycle vote due to court dispute and decisions that occurred in 2008 and 2012 under former governor, and now Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva. Bayelsa State was created from Rivers State on 1 October 1996. Inhabited by over two million people spread across eight local government areas (LGAs).Bayelsa State has 1,806 Polling Units, 105 Wards, three senatorial districts, five federal constituencies and 24 members of the State House of Assembly.